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Politics & Government vocabulary · Parties and Ideologies

Centrist

Meaning in politics & government, with examples

/ˈsentrɪst/adjectiveCommon term

In politics & government, centrist means: Holding moderate political views between the left and the right, and usually preferring compromise and practical solutions to strong ideological positions.

In Turkish: merkez, merkezci, ılımlı

How it is used

Used for parties, politicians, voters and policies, and as a noun (a centrist). Related expressions are the centre ground and the political centre. Before an election, parties are often said to move to the centre or compete for the centre ground.

Example sentences

  1. A new centrist party won seats for the first time.

  2. Centrist voters often decide close elections.

Common collocations

  • centrist party
  • centrist voters
  • the centre ground
  • move to the centre
  • left-wingSupporting political ideas usually linked with greater social and economic equality, a larger role for the state in the economy and stronger workers' rights.
  • right-wingSupporting political ideas usually linked with free markets, lower taxes, a smaller economic role for the state and respect for tradition and established institutions.
  • swing voterA voter who does not always support the same party and may change their choice from one election to the next, so campaigns work hard to win them.
  • consensusGeneral agreement among all or most of the people or groups involved in a decision.

More terms: Parties and Ideologies

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